I. The charter commission shall consist of 9 members, all of whom shall be registered voters of the municipality and elected as hereinafter provided. (a) Within 5 days after the deadline for a recount of a vote confirming the establishment of a charter commission, the municipal officers shall meet to order a special election to be held on the Tuesday not less than 56 days nor more than 63 days after such meeting for the purpose of electing charter commission members. (b) Members shall be elected in the same manner as the municipal officers except that they shall be elected at large and without party designation. The names of the candidates shall be arranged alphabetically by surname. II. The municipal clerk shall within 7 days after the election of the charter commission members, notify those elected to the charter commission of the date, time and place of the organizational meeting of the charter commission. Such date, time and place shall be fixed by the clerk and 7 days' notice of the organizational meeting shall be given. The charter commission shall organize by electing from its members a chairman, vice chairman and a secretary and shall file notice thereof with the municipal clerk. Vacancies occurring on the commission shall be filled by vote of the commission from the voters of the municipality. Members shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed from the commission's account for expenses lawfully incurred by them in the performance of their duties. III. The charter commission may adopt rules and regulations governing the conduct of its meetings and proceedings and may employ such legal, research, clerical or other employees and consultants as are deemed necessary within the limits of its budget. IV. (a) A municipality shall provide its charter commission, free of charge, with suitable office space and with reasonable access to facilities for holding public hearings, may contribute clerical and other assistance to such commission, and shall permit it to consult with and obtain advice and information from municipal officers, officials and employees during ordinary working hours. Within 20 days after the election of a charter commission, the municipal officers shall credit to the charter commission account the sum of $100. A municipality may from time to time appropriate additional funds to the charter commission account. Such funds may be raised by taxation, borrowed or transferred from surplus. (b) In addition to funds made available by a municipality, the charter commission account may receive funds from any other source, public or private, provided, that no contribution of more than $5 shall be accepted from any other source other than the municipality unless the name and address of the person or agency making the contribution and the amount of the contribution are disclosed in writing filed with the clerk. Within 30 days after submission of its final report the charter commission shall file with the clerk a complete account of all its receipts and expenditures for public inspection. Any balance remaining in its account shall be credited to the municipality's surplus account. V. Within 14 days after its organizational meeting, the charter commission shall hold a public meeting for the purpose of receiving information, views, comments and other pertinent material relative to its functions. Within 170 days after its election, the charter commission shall prepare a preliminary report including the text of the charter or charter revision which the commission intends shall be submitted to the voters and any explanatory information the commission deems desirable, shall cause such report to be printed and circulated throughout the municipality, and shall provide sufficient copies of the preliminary report to the municipal clerk to permit its distribution to each voter requesting it. Within 231 days after its election, the charter commission shall submit to the municipal officers its final report, which shall include the full text and explanation of the proposed new charter or charter revision, such comments as the commission deems desirable, an indication of the major differences between any current and proposed charters and a written opinion by an attorney admitted to the bar of this state that the proposed charter or charter revision is not in conflict with the constitution or the general laws. Minority reports if filed shall not exceed 1,000 words. All public hearings before a charter commission shall be held within the municipality at such times and places as may be specified in a notice published at least 7 days prior to the hearing in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality, but hearings may be adjourned from time to time without further published notice. VI. Upon the filing of the final report, the municipal officers shall order, as determined by the charter commission, the proposed new charter or charter revision to be submitted to the voters at the next primary or general municipal election or, in the case of municipalities with biennial elections, at the next regular state biennial election held at least 45 days after the filing of the final report. VII. The charter commission shall continue in existence for 60 days after submission of its final report to the municipal officers for the purpose of winding up its affairs.
Source. 1979, 241:1. 1988, 223:3. 1991, 304:6, 7. 1992, 96:1; 194:1-3, eff. July 11, 1992. 2003, 25:4, eff. April 30, 2003. 2006, 22:1, eff. May 30, 2006.
I. The charter commission shall consist of 9 members, all of whom shall be registered voters of the municipality and elected as hereinafter provided. (a) Within 5 days after the deadline for a recount of a vote confirming the establishment of a charter commission, the municipal officers shall meet to order a special election to be held on the Tuesday not less than 56 days nor more than 63 days after such meeting for the purpose of electing charter commission members. (b) Members shall be elected in the same manner as the municipal officers except that they shall be elected at large and without party designation. The names of the candidates shall be arranged alphabetically by surname. II. The municipal clerk shall within 7 days after the election of the charter commission members, notify those elected to the charter commission of the date, time and place of the organizational meeting of the charter commission. Such date, time and place shall be fixed by the clerk and 7 days' notice of the organizational meeting shall be given. The charter commission shall organize by electing from its members a chairman, vice chairman and a secretary and shall file notice thereof with the municipal clerk. Vacancies occurring on the commission shall be filled by vote of the commission from the voters of the municipality. Members shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed from the commission's account for expenses lawfully incurred by them in the performance of their duties. III. The charter commission may adopt rules and regulations governing the conduct of its meetings and proceedings and may employ such legal, research, clerical or other employees and consultants as are deemed necessary within the limits of its budget. IV. (a) A municipality shall provide its charter commission, free of charge, with suitable office space and with reasonable access to facilities for holding public hearings, may contribute clerical and other assistance to such commission, and shall permit it to consult with and obtain advice and information from municipal officers, officials and employees during ordinary working hours. Within 20 days after the election of a charter commission, the municipal officers shall credit to the charter commission account the sum of $100. A municipality may from time to time appropriate additional funds to the charter commission account. Such funds may be raised by taxation, borrowed or transferred from surplus. (b) In addition to funds made available by a municipality, the charter commission account may receive funds from any other source, public or private, provided, that no contribution of more than $5 shall be accepted from any other source other than the municipality unless the name and address of the person or agency making the contribution and the amount of the contribution are disclosed in writing filed with the clerk. Within 30 days after submission of its final report the charter commission shall file with the clerk a complete account of all its receipts and expenditures for public inspection. Any balance remaining in its account shall be credited to the municipality's surplus account. V. Within 14 days after its organizational meeting, the charter commission shall hold a public meeting for the purpose of receiving information, views, comments and other pertinent material relative to its functions. Within 170 days after its election, the charter commission shall prepare a preliminary report including the text of the charter or charter revision which the commission intends shall be submitted to the voters and any explanatory information the commission deems desirable, shall cause such report to be printed and circulated throughout the municipality, and shall provide sufficient copies of the preliminary report to the municipal clerk to permit its distribution to each voter requesting it. Within 231 days after its election, the charter commission shall submit to the municipal officers its final report, which shall include the full text and explanation of the proposed new charter or charter revision, such comments as the commission deems desirable, an indication of the major differences between any current and proposed charters and a written opinion by an attorney admitted to the bar of this state that the proposed charter or charter revision is not in conflict with the constitution or the general laws. Minority reports if filed shall not exceed 1,000 words. All public hearings before a charter commission shall be held within the municipality at such times and places as may be specified in a notice published at least 7 days prior to the hearing in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality, but hearings may be adjourned from time to time without further published notice. VI. Upon the filing of the final report, the municipal officers shall order, as determined by the charter commission, the proposed new charter or charter revision to be submitted to the voters at the next primary or general municipal election or, in the case of municipalities with biennial elections, at the next regular state biennial election held at least 45 days after the filing of the final report. VII. The charter commission shall continue in existence for 60 days after submission of its final report to the municipal officers for the purpose of winding up its affairs.
Source. 1979, 241:1. 1988, 223:3. 1991, 304:6, 7. 1992, 96:1; 194:1-3, eff. July 11, 1992. 2003, 25:4, eff. April 30, 2003. 2006, 22:1, eff. May 30, 2006.
I. The charter commission shall consist of 9 members, all of whom shall be registered voters of the municipality and elected as hereinafter provided. (a) Within 5 days after the deadline for a recount of a vote confirming the establishment of a charter commission, the municipal officers shall meet to order a special election to be held on the Tuesday not less than 56 days nor more than 63 days after such meeting for the purpose of electing charter commission members. (b) Members shall be elected in the same manner as the municipal officers except that they shall be elected at large and without party designation. The names of the candidates shall be arranged alphabetically by surname. II. The municipal clerk shall within 7 days after the election of the charter commission members, notify those elected to the charter commission of the date, time and place of the organizational meeting of the charter commission. Such date, time and place shall be fixed by the clerk and 7 days' notice of the organizational meeting shall be given. The charter commission shall organize by electing from its members a chairman, vice chairman and a secretary and shall file notice thereof with the municipal clerk. Vacancies occurring on the commission shall be filled by vote of the commission from the voters of the municipality. Members shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed from the commission's account for expenses lawfully incurred by them in the performance of their duties. III. The charter commission may adopt rules and regulations governing the conduct of its meetings and proceedings and may employ such legal, research, clerical or other employees and consultants as are deemed necessary within the limits of its budget. IV. (a) A municipality shall provide its charter commission, free of charge, with suitable office space and with reasonable access to facilities for holding public hearings, may contribute clerical and other assistance to such commission, and shall permit it to consult with and obtain advice and information from municipal officers, officials and employees during ordinary working hours. Within 20 days after the election of a charter commission, the municipal officers shall credit to the charter commission account the sum of $100. A municipality may from time to time appropriate additional funds to the charter commission account. Such funds may be raised by taxation, borrowed or transferred from surplus. (b) In addition to funds made available by a municipality, the charter commission account may receive funds from any other source, public or private, provided, that no contribution of more than $5 shall be accepted from any other source other than the municipality unless the name and address of the person or agency making the contribution and the amount of the contribution are disclosed in writing filed with the clerk. Within 30 days after submission of its final report the charter commission shall file with the clerk a complete account of all its receipts and expenditures for public inspection. Any balance remaining in its account shall be credited to the municipality's surplus account. V. Within 14 days after its organizational meeting, the charter commission shall hold a public meeting for the purpose of receiving information, views, comments and other pertinent material relative to its functions. Within 170 days after its election, the charter commission shall prepare a preliminary report including the text of the charter or charter revision which the commission intends shall be submitted to the voters and any explanatory information the commission deems desirable, shall cause such report to be printed and circulated throughout the municipality, and shall provide sufficient copies of the preliminary report to the municipal clerk to permit its distribution to each voter requesting it. Within 231 days after its election, the charter commission shall submit to the municipal officers its final report, which shall include the full text and explanation of the proposed new charter or charter revision, such comments as the commission deems desirable, an indication of the major differences between any current and proposed charters and a written opinion by an attorney admitted to the bar of this state that the proposed charter or charter revision is not in conflict with the constitution or the general laws. Minority reports if filed shall not exceed 1,000 words. All public hearings before a charter commission shall be held within the municipality at such times and places as may be specified in a notice published at least 7 days prior to the hearing in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality, but hearings may be adjourned from time to time without further published notice. VI. Upon the filing of the final report, the municipal officers shall order, as determined by the charter commission, the proposed new charter or charter revision to be submitted to the voters at the next primary or general municipal election or, in the case of municipalities with biennial elections, at the next regular state biennial election held at least 45 days after the filing of the final report. VII. The charter commission shall continue in existence for 60 days after submission of its final report to the municipal officers for the purpose of winding up its affairs.
Source. 1979, 241:1. 1988, 223:3. 1991, 304:6, 7. 1992, 96:1; 194:1-3, eff. July 11, 1992. 2003, 25:4, eff. April 30, 2003. 2006, 22:1, eff. May 30, 2006.
